Of Mutants and Alchemy
by Louc S. Swarm
Summary: Alchemy’s first law of Equivalent Exchange. You can not gain anything without giving up something of equal value in return. What does one give up to save the world?


Hello, long time no see. I figured I need to submit this idea before it fled me again. I don't expect this first part to captivate you, but I do hope it perks for interests. 

Please enjoy!

**Prologue**

The Darkness is everywhere, like an ever consuming void.

Floating aimlessly, his body; the only source of substance, of light in this vacant world.

He starts to work his way back to reality.

He concentrates, focusing what power he has left and calls out.

To whoever, to whatever can hear him.

It seemed not but a short time ago, he had freed himself from a very similar confinement.

After years of calling from his prison, a man who sought enlightenment in the mountains of the Himalayas caught his voice and followed.

The man wished for power, and got what he asked, in exchange for his freedom.

Now with a body to gather the keys, it left him only to wait.

The keys were gathered, and he was released form his confinement, along with a much needed refreshment in the form of a young girl.

With his freedom at hand, he had taken on the world, and would have won if not for those who disagreed with his view of the future.

His philosophy is a simple one.

Survival of the fittest.

A world only for the strong, one in which would be ruled by him.

He believed that those inferior or weak should simple be destroyed.

But his dream was denied to him as he was defeated and then banished to this endless abyss by the same child that had freed him from his tomb.

Irony is not his strong suit.

So he concentrates, he concentrates to find a way out.

To find another puppet to free him from this prison of time and reality.

It was only a matter of time, for he who is named Apocalypse, can not be held forever.

* * *

A cloaked figure with a large wooden brush and a pale of black ink finishes a intricate design on the floor of an extravagant ballroom. Lines and circles covered the area ending in an almost pentagram. With one last sweep of the brush, the lines meet and the design becomes complete. Standing back to admire the handiwork, a snide voice interrupts his contemplation.

"Very nicely done, one of your best works I'd say."

Turning to meet the source of the comment, a young man leaning against one of the walls surrounding the ballroom smirks back at the dark figure.

Ignoring his flattery and turning back to the bucket of ink, replacing the brush back in its holder and moving both to the side, it asks, "Have you and the others gathered the offerings?"

Shaking his head in annoyance, the dark green hairs springing forth from his head swayed with him before returning to its normal stiff selves. Brushing several large strands from his face, glaring at the retreating form, "Of course we have, it's not like it was that difficult. In this town their like run around practically everywhere."

Smiling, the figure removes a cloth from beneath one of the his many garment. Cleaning the ink from the wrinkled hands strutting out from the sleeves, he continues, "Good. Now have the others bring them in and place them where I told you."

Sauntering towards the large entrance, he turns and throws yet another glare over his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. I'm not an idiot. I know how it all works."

With a giant push the doors swing open slamming into the opposing walls. "HEY, BRING IN THE LITTLE BRATS!" ,he shouts before returning to his earlier position by the wall, only to fall to the floor to sit and sulk. "You act like I've never done this before."

Replacing rings on the bony fingers, he scolded him, "Really now, you didn't need to shout."

Grinning back, he replies, "Hey, volume works."

Sighing in defeat, the figure takes his place atop of the vast stage at the end of the ballroom. Minutes later, a woman walked into the room. She was pale, deathly pale, but it seem to only enhance her beauty. Black hair cascaded down her back, black lips puckered in a grin. Following closely behind her, a large, obese man. He kept his finger in his mouth, much like a child. It was almost as if he was trying his best to prevent himself from doing something wrong. He would look back and forth from his front to his back, keeping an eye on parcels bring up the rear.

Behind them, a large group of children, varying from ages, their eyes wide as they take in the vast room the enter . The youngest, still an infant sleep in the arms of the oldest, a girl in her teens.

Pointing towards the middle of the room, the pale woman directed, "Come along and gather in the middle of the circle."

The eldest of them looked at her with doubt, "So all we have to do is stand in the circle? Then you'll pay us what you promised? It seems to good to be true."

The pale woman smiled at her reassuringly, "You're a very perceptive girl aren't you? Do what you're told and all of you will get what's coming to you."

Stepping down from the stage, the cloaked figure walked towards the oldest, holding out his arms, "Give me the boy. It has a much bigger job to do."

The teen looked skeptical, "It's a girl, and what can she do, she's just a baby?"

Smiling at the untrusting teen, again reaching out to take the child he responded, "she's the key to this little experiment were about to perform"

Removing the child from the teen's arms, returning to the stage cooing the baby along the way. Once on the stage, revealing a smaller container of ink standing on a wooden stool. Taking the brush on the side she dipped he tip and started making a smaller symbol on the body of the child, the child giggling from the tickling of the brush.

The Fat man, almost timidly approached the figure, yanking on his cloak, trying to gain his attention. "Can I have one? Just one! There are plenty of them! Missing one wont hurt will it? Please!"

Swiping his arms away, the cloaked figure returned the brush to the stool and walked back to the center of the room. Reaching the children, he lifted the infant into the air the mark on the child, an exact duplicate of the circle on the floor. In an instant the symbol glowed with an unknown power, causing the symbol on the floor to glow in the same mysterious way.

The children began growing unruly, some protesting , others crying. It wasn't till the oldest figured out what the circle on the floor was, was it too late. "Everyone run!" The girl shouted, " It's a transmu-" Her shout was forgotten about as she stared at what appeared behind them.

Behind them, out of seemingly nowhere, a mighty stone gate stood. Decorated with the bodies of men and women cast in stone, each reaching over the other as if trying to escape. And in the center of the gate held an eye, carved in the stone. The gate itself brought chills to the children's bone, but as the gate began to open did they see the true terror inside.

At first there was nothing but darkness. Absolute darkness staring back at them. But the darkness grew eyes, hundreds of tiny eyes, all staring at them with red irises, each it seemed, focusing on a different child. Following the eyes were teeth, brilliantly white teeth smiling at them, laughing at them, calling to them. But the worse came afterwards those eyes and teeth took shape, forming arms and reaching for them, grabbing them, and dragging them kicking and screaming into the unforgiving darkness.

Soon the screaming stopped leaving only silence save the crying of the infant. When all was over only a stone tomb lay in the wake, ancient writing littered it from the sides to the cover.

Whistling a nameless tune, the green haired man lifted himself off the floor and casually walked over to inspect the newly acquired prize. "Impressive work, but nothing you can't find in some dingy cave. So why'd we do all that for this hunk of junk?"

"Open it" ,commanded the cloaked figure as he approached it, the baby still crying. As he neared it, the young man had pushed the lid open. Dust flung it self out to the open air, blocking the view inside the tomb. Once the dust settled, an old crippled form could be seen laying inside, his arms a crossed his chest, seemingly post mortem.

"Oh just great. After all that, all we get is some old dead guy. What a wonderful experiment. I could have saved us some time and whet to the local graveyard" The green hair man exclaimed.

"Things are never what they seem" stated the cloaked figure as he approached the tomb, coaxing the child to stop its crying, "Of all people, you should know that."

As the baby continued her crying fit, the crippled hand of the body in the tomb shot out, grabbing the side, and pulled itself into a sitting position.

"Well it seems he's not dead." ,stated the pale woman from her spot across the room.

"Indeed." came the hoarse voice of the man, his eyes open and scanning the room.

Placing a hand on him, the cloaked figure pushed him back into the prone position. "Rest for now", he said "Regain your strength, introductions can be done later." Looking towards the green haired man and then the Pale woman, the figure began to give out his instructions. "Envy, go and make sure there is a room prepared for our guest. Lust, see about getting some food ready. I'm sure he hasn't eaten in quite some time."

And finally turning back to the large obese man, he held the child out in his arms. " And Gluttony. Bon Apatite.

Smiling widely, He took the child eagerly, stated giggling and ran off with the still crying child.

Returning to the now resting man, a smile came upon his old face. "Rest easy En Sab Nur, for soon the world will be at our feet."

The figure then left, to go rest himself. Followed swiftly by a now more energetic obese man, with a bright red mess about his face. Noticing this, the cloaked figure handed him a cloth. "Really now Gluttony, clean yourself up. The whole world awaits for us, and you can't be a mess when we arrive."

* * *

With a gasp, Rogue awoke. Turning around franticly she saw that she was in her bed, still at the mansion.

Falling back onto her back, she looked over at her alarm clock. 0230 blinking at her mockingly, as if knowing she had to wake up early for practice.

Sighing, she noticed her room mate still remained in the land of nod, giving off a slight snore.

She breathed deep, and ran her hand threw her two toned hair, noticing it had matted to her forehead. She always sweated when the dreams go bad.

Trying to relax under her sheets, attempting to return to sleep, she couldn't help wonder what the dream meant.

Troubled, she threw her sheets off her and trudged of to the kitchen for something to ease her mind.

"If I'm going to be up, I might as well snack on something."

**End Prologue**

****

Please tell us what you think. Feedback is most appreciated, the good along with the bad. And remember, you rub my back, Ill give you 5 bucks . . . In monopoly money. O  
Hell, I'll even throw in a hotel.

**Cheers!**


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